A violent storm with winds rivaling a Category 1 hurricane tore through Houston Thursday, claiming four lives and triggering chaos as power outages engulfed the city. Over 800,000 households plunged into darkness 🌑, while shattered glass and downed power lines turned downtown into a hazard zone, Mayor John Whitmire confirmed.
Winds roaring at 100 mph (161 kph)—stronger than a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch 🚀—ripped windows from skyscrapers and left streets littered with debris. The mayor urged residents to avoid downtown, calling it “extremely dangerous” due to unstable structures and nonfunctional traffic lights.
“This is not the time to be a storm tourist,” Whitmire warned during a live TV update from Houston’s emergency center. First responders are prioritizing critical areas, but recovery could take days as crews tackle Texas’ worst storm damage in decades.
